Page 33 of Planes, Trains, and Candy Canes

Epilogue

“Okay. You’re not giving me the third degree. Or a hard time. Not even teasing. Why?” Reese unpacked her shopping bags with her sisters. They had both given her gift cards, and she’d already blown them at the mall, buying a few things to tide her over until her luggage made its way to her.

Julie held up a lacey red bra and matching panties. “Multiple reasons. Evie?”

“One.” Evie held up a pair of black heels and nodded with approval. “You’ll move back to Pine Ridge if you marry him.”

“Marry!” Reese snatched the panties and bra back and stuffed them in her jeans’ pocket.

“Two,” Julie continued the conversation without missing a beat, “You’ve had enough frogs. Time for a prince.”

“Derrick is a prince?” Reese crossed her arms across her chest. Privately, she believed Derrickwasabsolutely a royal among men. In the company of her already-married sisters, who had made it plain that they hated Jeff (and her last three boyfriends), she was more cautious.

“Yes.” Evie and Julie were in perfect chorus as they returned the gesture, arms crossed, chins tilted upward, daring her to defy them.

“He’s sane.”

“He’s stable.”

“He’s pining for your brand of dumpster fire.”

“He’s cute, in a middle management kind of way.”

“He came over to bring Mom and Dad a poinsettia for picking up at the station.”

“And he had a peppermint mocha for you.”

Evie and Julie were ping-ponging back and forth, and each phrase drove home what Reese had been thinking while they were shopping. Her once-heavy heart was now so light that she felt as giddy as her nieces with their new toys.

“When you find a genuinely good guy, you realize how crappy all the other guys were. Trust the divorced one,” Julie said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Trust the one who got married right out of college because sheknew!” Evie shook her by the shoulders.

“I trust you, I trust you. The truth is... I think I’m already in love with him. And I promise not to rush into anything. More than I already did,” Reese murmured as she turned away to inspect whatever clothing was left in the closet of her old bedroom.

Her sisters were silent.

That’s never a good thing—and it never lasts long, either.

Sure enough, before she could turn around, velvet low-rider pants from the past in her hand, they pounced.

“Spill!” Julie demanded.

“No judgment!” Evie swore.

“I just... It was a crazy day and night. We finally found a hotel, but it was full. We talked them into giving us a room, and it only had one bed...” Reese trailed off, trying to sound nonchalant.

Her sisters squealed and jumped like impatient teenagers.

“The only one bed thing? In real life?? No way!” Julie gasped.

“Was he good? Did he make up for Jeff being a tightwad in the bedroom?” Evie was still hopping, now dragging Reese with her.

“How do you know that Jeff was—”

“Because he was an arrogant, immature little prick. Immature guys are never good in bed,” Evie said with a breezy wave. “But nerds are awesome in bed. Especially guys who hold down a job during the week and do those big roleplay questing games on the side. They’re goal-oriented. Every time they get into bed, it’s like someone handed them a card that read, ‘The quest is to make the princess scream your name twenty timesand invoke at least two different deities.’” Evie spoke in a falsely deep voice. “They’ll get you there.”

“I don’t know about any games, but Derrick is super organized and always completes his projects.” Reese dropped her voice, “And I would give him a ten out of ten.”

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